A study looking at a new type of MRI scan in men having surgery for prostate cancer (DMAPS)

This study is looking at a type of MRI scan called ‘diffusion weighted MRI or DWI MRI’, which may help to show up areas of cancer more clearly than a normal MRI scan.

If you have prostate cancer that is completely inside the prostate (localised prostate cancer), you may have surgery to remove the whole prostate gland (a radical prostatectomy). To help plan your surgery, your surgeon will look at pictures taken during tests to help diagnose your disease. These include an ultrasound of your prostate through your back passage (transrectal ultrasound), and an MRI scan. But although useful, these cannot always clearly show the difference between healthy and cancerous tissue.

This study is looking at using a new type of MRI scan called ‘diffusion weighted MRI or DWI MRI’, which may show the difference more clearly. DWI MRI looks at the movement of water molecules, which show up differently in cancerous and healthy tissue. A DWI MRI scan is very similar to a normal MRI, but takes a little longer. Men taking part in this study will have a DWI scan before their surgery. The team will then compare results from this study scan with those from the routine MRI scan and tissue removed during surgery. If the results from this pilot study are promising, the team hope to develop a phase 3 trial to compare how accurately DWI MRI scans and MRI scans help doctors decide the stage of prostate cancer before surgery.

You will not have any direct benefit from taking part in this study, and it is unlikely to change your treatment plan in any way. But the results of the study will be used to help men with prostate cancer in the future.

Recruitment

Start 01/08/2010

End 31/05/2013

Phase

Pilot

Who can enter

You can enter this study if

You have prostate cancer that is completely inside the prostate (localised prostate cancer)
Your doctor has said your prostate cancer is at either medium (intermediate) risk or high risk of growing and spreading in the next few years
You are due to have surgery to remove the whole of your prostate
There can be at least 4 weeks between your biopsy for diagnosis and your study MRI scan

You cannot enter this study if you are not able to have an MRI scan for any reason, for example you have some metal in your body or a pacemaker, cannot cope with being in small spaces or had any difficulties at your staging MRI scan.

Trial design

This study will recruit 40 men.

Everyone taking part in the study will have a DWI MRI scan before their surgery.

Hospital visits

You will make one extra visit for your study MRI scan, which will be arranged any time between you agreeing to join this study, and the day before your surgery. The scan takes about 15 to 20 minutes longer than a normal MRI scan.